Water Hygiene Policy Statement (February 2022)

 

Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) recognises its responsibility for Water Hygiene under the:

• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA)
• Management of the Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR)
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations 2002 (COSHH)
• Approved Code of Practice 2013 (ACoP) (L8) “Legionnaires’ disease: - The control of legionella bacteria in water systems”
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publication “Managing for Health and Safety” (HSG 65)

 

This policy statement supports our Health and Safety Policy and sets out our approach to managing risks from exposure to Legionella bacteria.

 

It has been written to ensure the safety of all YHN staff, board members, volunteers, contractors, tenants and other members of the public who might be affected by water systems under its control, including consultancy and agency staff.  

 

We are strongly committed to fairness and making sure that everyone has the same opportunities to achieve the same, or similar, outcomes. This policy statement meets the requirements set out by the Equality Act 2010 and aims to prevent unlawful discrimination on the grounds of disability, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion and beliefs, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnerships.  It has been written and approved in-line with YHN’s Policy & Strategy Development Framework and supports our strategic objective of amazing places where people are proud to live.

 

Our commitments:

YHN accepts its responsibilities as outlined in ACoP L8 and associated guidance.

YHN will aim to eliminate, where possible, or reduce, as far as is reasonably practicable, the risks from Legionella bacteria.

 

In support of this YHN will adhere to the following Management Plan:

• Appoint a responsible person (an authorised officer) to be managerially responsible for implementing this Management Plan
• Identify and assess sources of risk by implementing a programme of water hygiene risk assessments of all YHN managed buildings in order to locate and identify conditions that encourage bacteria to multiply
• Appoint competent persons with specialist knowledge to carry out risk assessments on behalf of YHN
• Prepare and maintain a written scheme for controlling the water hygiene risks identified at each of YHN’s managed buildings
• Implement, manage and monitor all control measures following a water hygiene risk assessment
• Review risk assessments periodically, or when there are significant changes to the water system of the building
• Where necessary produce schematic drawings of the hot and cold-water systems for YHN managed premises
• Specify necessary routine water hygiene tasks and checks for each of our buildings
• Commission only competent and appropriately qualified contractors to complete works on YHN managed water systems
• Provide training for all building managers and staff engaged in routine water hygiene tasks and checks
• Provide an appropriate level of information and training for those with responsibilities under this policy statement

 

The key objectives of the policy statement are to establish:

• Water Safety management principles
• Approach to compliance remedial work
• Record keeping
• Competent persons
• Training
• Audit procedure
• Non-compliance
• Water Safety Information

 

This policy statement will be reviewed annually, or earlier if necessary due to:

• Legislative changes
• Structural or role changes
• Operational or technical changes

 

Current version:	1.1
Date published:
Date of next review:	February 2022
Author:	Steven Studley, Compliance Manager; Mark Riley, Compliance Officer (Water Hygiene).
Owner:	Ian Gallagher, Assistant Director, Operational Property Services.
Approved by:		Date:

For policy queries, or more information, contact the author or the Policy and Innovation Team.